The silence on Europe has finally broken in Labour's leadership race
In the long and turbulent aftermath of Brexit, Britain's Labour Party finds itself at a crossroads that is as much about identity as it is about policy. Two contenders — Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham — are offering divergent answers to the question of what Labour is for, with Europe, public ownership, and electoral reform all suddenly back on the table. As Prime Minister Starmer quietly signals his intention to depart on his own terms, the party's unspoken agreements are dissolving, and the country is being asked, once again, to decide what kind of future it wants.
- Labour's long-held silence on EU membership has shattered, with Streeting's public endorsement of rejoining handing Reform UK a ready-made attack line ahead of the Makerfield by-election.
- Burnham is moving fast to define himself as the left's candidate, proposing state control of energy and water, proportional representation, and a mass council housing programme — a sharp departure from Starmer's centrist record.
- Behind closed doors, Starmer has reportedly criticised Streeting for destabilising the government, while his relationship with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has fractured over the latter's refusal to rally the soft left to his defence.
- A cabinet minister has warned that the current disorder is unsustainable, and Starmer is said to be planning a departure on his own timetable — a move that would fundamentally alter the shape of the succession contest.
- Whichever candidate emerges will inherit a party that has spent months in open warfare, with the question of Britain's relationship with Europe no longer something Labour can afford to leave unanswered.
For years, Labour's senior figures maintained an unspoken agreement: do not touch Brexit. That agreement is now in pieces. Wes Streeting, the health secretary and one of two leading candidates to succeed Sir Keir Starmer, has publicly declared his support for EU membership — a statement that has electrified the leadership race and ended what observers had come to call the party's deliberate silence on the subject.
Streeting's rival, Andy Burnham, also favours closer ties with Brussels, but has chosen to lead with a broader domestic vision. In his first major interview since signalling his return to Parliament, Burnham set out plans for expanded public ownership of energy and water, a shift to proportional representation, and a significant increase in council house building. The Mirror has framed the moment as one of urgency: the left must unify, and it must do so now.
Reform UK has wasted no time. The party is already planning to make 'Brexit betrayal' a central theme in the Makerfield by-election, sensing an opportunity to portray Labour as willing to reverse the 2016 referendum result — a charge with real potency in Leave-voting constituencies.
Starmer's own position has grown increasingly fragile. He has reportedly told close allies that he intends to step down, though on a timetable of his own choosing. A cabinet minister has described the current situation as unsustainable. The Observer reports that Starmer has privately blamed Streeting for destabilising the government, and that his relationship with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has broken down after Miliband declined to mobilise the party's soft left in his defence.
Should Starmer set a departure date, the contest between Streeting and Burnham would move into a new phase entirely — one in which Labour must finally speak plainly about Europe, and about what kind of party it intends to be.
The Labour Party is fracturing over Europe. For years, senior figures in the party have kept quiet about Britain rejoining the European Union—a subject too raw, too divisive, too close to the wounds of 2016. That silence has broken. Wes Streeting, the health secretary and one of two main contenders to lead the party, has publicly declared his support for EU membership. The move has electrified the race to succeed Sir Keir Starmer, signaling an end to what observers call the unspoken agreement among Labour's establishment to avoid the subject altogether.
Streeting is not alone in this position. Andy Burnham, the other leading candidate and former health secretary, also favors closer ties with Brussels and a path back to the EU. The Sunday Telegraph reports that Reform UK has already seized on the opening, planning to make "Brexit betrayal" a centerpiece of its campaign in the Makerfield by-election. The party sees an opportunity to paint Labour as willing to reverse the 2016 referendum result, a charge that could resonate in constituencies that voted Leave.
Burnham has begun laying out a broader vision for what a Labour government under his leadership would look like. In his first substantial interview since announcing his intention to return to Parliament, he has outlined plans for significantly stronger public ownership of essential services—energy and water among them. He also backs proportional representation, a shift that would reshape how British elections work, and a major expansion of council house building to address the housing crisis. The Mirror frames the moment as urgent: the left needs to unify, and quickly.
Meanwhile, the prime minister's position is deteriorating. Sir Keir Starmer has reportedly told close friends that he intends to step down, and that he will do so on his own terms and according to a timetable of his choosing. A cabinet minister quoted in the Mail on Sunday put it plainly: the current chaos is unsustainable. The Observer adds another layer of dysfunction, reporting that Starmer has privately criticized Streeting for damaging the government by pursuing a leadership bid without a clear plan to win. The prime minister's relationship with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has also fractured, the paper claims, after Miliband declined to rally the party's soft left to Starmer's defense when the leadership challenges emerged.
The timing is significant. Starmer's departure would reshape the succession contest entirely. It would remove the sitting prime minister from the equation and allow the two main contenders—Streeting and Burnham—to compete on their own terms and their own visions. Burnham's platform of state ownership and electoral reform represents a sharp turn leftward from Starmer's centrist approach. Streeting's willingness to break the taboo on EU rejoining signals a different kind of break with the recent past. Whichever candidate prevails will inherit a party that has spent months in open conflict, and a country watching to see whether Labour will finally speak plainly about its relationship with Europe.
Notable Quotes
The current chaos is unsustainable— Cabinet minister quoted in the Mail on Sunday on Starmer's position
Streeting's announcement electrified the race to succeed Sir Keir Starmer— The Sunday Times on the impact of his EU rejoin statement
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Streeting's statement about the EU matter so much? It's just one candidate's position.
Because it breaks a pact. For a decade, Labour's leadership has avoided saying what many of them actually believe—that Britain should rejoin. Streeting saying it out loud gives permission to others to say it too. It changes what's discussable.
And Burnham agrees with him on this?
He does, but that's almost beside the point. What matters is that both leading candidates now support EU membership. That's not a fringe position anymore—it's the center of the race.
What does Burnham actually want to do differently from Starmer?
He wants the state to own energy and water companies again. He wants proportional representation, which would break the two-party system. He wants to build thousands of council houses. It's a more interventionist, more left-wing agenda.
And Starmer is leaving?
He's told people he will, yes. On his own schedule. But the chaos is real—his own cabinet isn't backing him, his relationships are fractured. The question now is whether he leaves before or after the succession is settled.
Does it matter which?
Enormously. If he leaves soon, Streeting and Burnham compete in a vacuum. If he stays, he's still the backdrop, still the thing they're running against. Either way, the party's direction shifts.